RRR013 – OXP ft Pomrad – California

Sometimes, dreams do come true and when you least expect them. I was sent the brilliant ‘Swing Convention’ LP on NBN Records by OXP -a duo combined of Onra, music producer from France and Pomrad, composer and multi- instrumentalist from Belgium. The icing on the cake for me was the Class of ’93 West Coast nugget of hip-hop gold – ‘California’ ft Mr Getto Jam himself, Domino – ‘Getto Jam’ being my favourite hip hop track of all time. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I contacted OXP and asked if I could license ‘California’ for vinyl 7” only – when the answer came back ‘yes’, I was like Dennis Hopper in ‘Blue Velvet’. For me, it’s four fingers up, two twisted in the middle, in your low rider with the top down, nodding along to the track on Trend City Radio with your homies, cruising along a palm lined boulevard in the eternal, shimmering sunshine of the West Coast. It’s Hip Hop Summer for life. Thank you OXP + thank you NBN Records. Heavy radio play expected.OXP’s ‘Swing Convention’ features a diverse collection of vocalists and MC's, from newcomers - and NBN family - Devin Morrison and Ace Hashimoto to 90's stalwarts Domino & Horace Brown, former Onra collaborators T3 & Reggie B, East Coast legends Grand Puba and Pudgee The Phat Bastard, NY singers Maiya Blaney and Natalie Olivieri, Jamaican vocalist Ready Meahdy and French R&B queen K-Reen, all appearing on this smash debut! Their plan of making classics with a contemporary sound has been conceptualized around the vintage synths and drum machines that marked the Golden Era of 90's Hip-Hop, R&B and G-Funk, using strictly analog gear to produce the album. With the help of an All-Star cast, Onra X Pomrad aim to deliver a groovy mix of old school flavors with a fresh sound, something for both new and old generations

Twelve Caesars - Scenes from Wild Eyed Dreams LP

Artist: Twelve CaesarsTitle: Scenes from Wild Eyed DreamsRelease date: April 14th, 2023Label: Ramrock Red RecordsCatalogue No: RRRLP009Following on from their outstanding 2022 EP release, ‘Swan Fendered Mercury’, Twelve Caesars aka Andrew Pipe and Stephen Ennever unveil their debut Ramrock Red LP release, ‘Scenes from Wild Eyed Dreams’. The inspiration for the LP’s title, 'Scenes From Wild Eyed Dreams', is a lyric taken from a song on the album called 'Eleven Ways From Hell' - legend has it that there are 11 hidden portals on Earth through which one can enter the Underworld. The topics covered by the LP’s tracks take you on a bit of trek, moving from the US Civil Rights Movement through to Tiananmen Square and the Fall of the Berlin Wall via the war in Vietnam.The forthcoming single release, ‘California Sleaze’ drops on March 31st with remixes from the infamous No’West production team. Did someone say ‘Laurel Canyon’?

Twelve Caesars – California Sleaze – Lyric video

Twelve Caesars - California Sleaze - Lyric VideoArtist: Twelve CaesarsTitle: California Sleaze EPRelease date: March 31st, 2023Label: Ramrock Red RecordsCatalogue No: RRR038Following on from their outstanding 2022 Ramrock Red EP release, ‘Swan Fendered Mercury’, Twelve Caesars aka Andrew Pipe and Stephen Ennever take you on a West Coast road trip with their wonderfully evocative ‘California Sleaze’. An homage to Robert F Kennedy, ‘California Sleaze’ takes its inspiration from Mahalia Jackson’s ‘Take My Hand, Precious Lord’ & Blind Willie Johnson ‘Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed’ and delivered with a Crosby, Stills and Nash-esque fusion of folk, rock, psychedelic and country music. Did someone say ‘Laurel Canyon’?The North Street West crew will be remixing the track for a May/June release. Until then, play loud and love the one you’re with. Peace.

Twelve Caesars - California Sleaze

Artist: Twelve CaesarsTitle: California Sleaze EPRelease date: March 31st, 2023Label: Ramrock Red RecordsCatalogue No: RRR038Following on from their outstanding 2022 Ramrock Red EP release, ‘Swan Fendered Mercury’, Twelve Caesars aka Andrew Pipe and Stephen Ennever take you on a West Coast road trip with their wonderfully evocative ‘California Sleaze’. An homage to Robert F Kennedy, ‘California Sleaze’ takes its inspiration from Mahalia Jackson’s ‘Take My Hand, Precious Lord’ & Blind Willie Johnson ‘Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed’ and delivered with a Crosby, Stills and Nash-esque fusion of folk, rock, psychedelic and country music. Did someone say ‘Laurel Canyon’?The North Street West crew will be remixing the track for a May/June release. Until then, play loud and love the one you’re with. Peace.

RRRLP004 - Till Sunday - Steven Christie ft. Joseph Malik

The incredible 'Till Sunday' recordings are a result of Steven Christie and Joseph Malik writing music together with no pre-planned agenda. The first day of recording lead to the demo track 'Till Sunday', and with Joseph's stunning lyrics and melody, the pair quickly arranged another session which produced the final set of songs - ‘Tired On My Own', 'Justify Me', ' Everybody Seems To Want Something From You' and 'Girl Everything'. The songs also showcase the outstanding vocal skills of Nicole Cassandra Smit and the multi-talented Christina Robertson who also designed the beautiful album sleeve. Instrumentally, the guitar playing of Chris Hall and Jay Robertson (a.k.a 'Aqua Bassino') along with trombonist/arranger, Chris Greive, Alistair Mckenzie on Cello and drummer, Daniel Walls (a.k.a ‘Digital Liquid’) led to the completion of the ‘Till Sunday’ LP recordings. Both Christie and Malik felt the songs had captured a pure, emotional honesty and they presented the whole project to Jo Wallace at Ramrock Records who was deeply moved by the remarkable combination of music and vocals and signed it without any hesitation.Friends for nearly 30 years, Steven and Joseph first worked together in the 90's Hip-Hop outfit ‘Blacka'nized’, also collaborating at that time on the 'East Coast Project' compilation and later on Malik's broad ranging 'Diverse' trilogy of albums. Over the years, they’ve been busy on different projects – Steven has been touring and recording extensively with Scottish super group, The Proclaimers whilst Joseph expanded his song writing/production skills, resulting in a huge catalogue of tracks plus collaborations with international artists including Marc Mac (4Hero), Niki King and Black Science Orchestra. As well as this, Joseph signed his ‘Diverse Pt.2’ and ‘Diverse Pt.3’ LPs with Ramrock Records as well as a plethora of EPs including the ‘Stranger Things Have Happened’ soundtrack with Scottish hivemind, ‘Out of the Ordinary’.

RRR009 – Liotia – Blackout EP

Ramrock Red Records are delighted to announce a new signing & release to the label - the brilliant electroacoustic duo of singer/songwriter Abigail Hubbard and producer/engineer Matt Smyth, collectively known as Liotia (pronounced Ly – Oh – Sha). Between them, they create a truly enchanting ensemble of original sounds, samples, licks and melodies which fuse electronica, trip hop and jazz influences. Liotia combine Abigail’s haunting vocals and with Matt’s digital soundscapes and drum machine to deliver their original version on the stunning “Blackout” EP. There are also remixes from Ashley Beedle & Darren Morris - the “Africanz On Marz” Vocal Remix and Melodica Dub (melodica courtesy of Dr Rey). Darren was the studio keyboard player for Massive Attack and the elegance of production shines through.Abigail and Matt began working together while she was at a local music charity where he managed the studio facility. Matt, who also works alongside producer Adrian Sherwood at On U Sound and is Living Colour’s UK/Europe tour engineer, produced Abigail’s debut EP ‘People Watching’ which gained support from Tom Robinson at Radio 6 and was licensed to producer Robert Miles’ Open Lab compilation. This working partnership progressed into the Liotia project with a tighter, polished more cinematic style including a range of acoustic and electronic instruments. The band have been likened to Portishead meets Little Dragon. Other releases from the duo include their debut EP So Close / Yours Tonight in July 2019.

Joseph Malik - Performance at Boisdale Music Awards 2022

Scottish artist, Joseph Malik performs 'Take A Left' with the Jools Holland Band at the 2022 Boisdale Music Awards before receiving his 'One to Watch' award from Jools Holland. An unbelievable evening.

Suddenly WOW - Little Things

Ramrock Red Records are ecstatic to be able to deliver Suddenly WOW’s extraordinary pile of tiny musical pixels, ‘Little Things’. The duo has existed at the sonic crossroads where they have tailored prime coloured pop and free noise improvisation. The enchanting energy and unswerving devotion of Suddenly WOW members, Darren Morris & Otti Albietz is reflected in their knack for abstracting a groove, conjuring spine tingling eternal resonances and transformative musical energies. Clear hints of cosmic jazz and soft psych electronica, with distinctive musical phrasing, transport you, the listener, to a crystalline space age palace. Darren Morris will be familiar to many music lovers via his extensive two-decade musical output as a highly sought-after keyboard player, studio engineer and instrumentalist. His musical wizardry is always in big demand with artists like Horse Meat Disco, Ashley Beedle, Massive Attack and Joseph Malik, as well as being an integral member of the legendary Black Science Orchestra and the prodigious North Street West production crew. Otti Albietz has had a long and glittering career, having released 12 albums and multiple independent releases as well as working with labels such as Plural Baby and BBE Records. Otti of Suddenly WOW says: “The act of listening to new music is hard, but it’s necessary if we wish to discover songs that embody the uncrushable spirit, the sound of individuals who’ve been told all their life that they’re nothing, erupting with the news that they are everything. Songs that are full of the positive message of self-belief and resilience, pursuing childhood dreams and destiny. We must all listen to the new, the unfamiliar Suddenly WOW”. Darren of Suddenly WOW says: “Yeah, whatever”.

RRRCD001 - Becc Sanderson Sextet - Bows to Bowie

Ramrock Red Records are immensely excited to present something a little bit different for the discerning Jazz and Bowie fans out there – the 4 track sampler from the Becc Sanderson Sextet – Bows to Bowie.The idea for the Bows to Bowie project was first floated in 2014 by Becc Sanderson with her husband and collaborator Chris Greive, at the beginning of the band’s inception. It was always Sanderson and Greive’s intention to delve fully into Bowie’s work, and the loss of the great man in 2016 only inspired them more. With Life On Mars and The Jean Genie already included in their original repertoire, Sanderson’s epic performance of Heroes was included in the Olivier Award winning show, La Clique Encore!, playing to several thousand people over their 21 night run at 2016’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the dye was cast. Like digging for treasure, the fascinating process of attempting to choose material from an artist as prolific and diverse as Bowie began. With a bonkers map drawn by one of the most quicksilver artists of the last century, they plundered classic albums such as Heroes, Aladdin Sane, Scary Monsters, Ziggy Stardust, Let’s Dance and Hunky Dory.And finally, on Sunday the 8th of April 2016, a sell-out performance at The Jazz Bar in Edinburgh was recorded, with an unabashed celebration of one of the most inventive and mercurial artists to ever walk the planet and a truly emotional pilgrimage to all things Bowie put down for posterity.The Becc Sanderson Sextet is a living Real Book to the talents of this powerful vocalist, and a perfect marriage of Sanderson’ mellifluous voice with Greive’s prodigious arranging talents. An Australian native and Edinburgh resident since 2000, Becc Sanderson’s career has spanned 30 years, from Blues to Jazz to Cabaret, with 30 award winning years of treading the chords. Featuring the Crême de la Crême of Scottish Jazz talent (Steve Hamilton on Piano, Alyn Cosker on Drums, Martin Kershaw on Saxophones, Brodie Jarvie on Double Bass, and MD Chris Greive on Trombone), Becc Sanderson Sextet Bows to Bowie is a rare bird indeed; a captured moment full of heart and joy. It is also an opportunity to dedicate the work to another rare man, the late Bill Kyle (founder and owner of The Jazz Bar). It was Bill who suggested the formation of the sextet to Chris Greive, such was his enthusiasm to get Becc to perform in his venue. Becc says “Bill put his money where his mouth is. He had faith in the Scottish Jazz scene. He believed in an audience to support it. This is our way of expressing thanks and love to this wonderful man”.

RRR016 - Captain Feedback & The S.O.S Wave Band - The Isle of Whales - EP

Whilst sailing in the perilous waters off Antarctica looking for a safe harbour, Captain Feedback and his shipmates, the S.O.S Wave Band stumbled across the Isle of Whales and anchored in Jawbone Cove. Finding a warm welcome in Framheim, the crew sang for their supper of raw fish by the light of the guttering oil lamps. On the arduous journey home to their beloved France, their vessel 'La Femme Vigoureuse' encountered terrible storms off the Cape of Good Hope where all on board feared for their lives. The tape of the hastily recorded shanties was put into a tarred barrel and tossed overboard. The ship endured and returned to port safely but for decades, the crew had no knowledge that the tarred barrel was being carried by gulf streams and ebbing tides until it beached at Ramsgate...the home of Ramrock Records. The rest, as they say, is history.Captain Feedback recalls:“I was on a boat when, late at night, when the bulkhead door yawned open and a sinewy, tattooed arm shot out of the darkness, dragging me into a tiny, cramped radio cabin. The radio operator was beside himself with a deranged air and in a strangled tone said, ‘Listen, listen to that’, jabbing the air with his gnarled, arthritic finger. The ancient radio set emitted a faint, crackling S.O.S signal. He stared wildly into my face and shook me by my shoulders and said 'That’s a mayday on the S.O.S wave-band which is only activated in dire emergencies. Someone, out on that dark sea, is going down - to the bottom they're bound. I’ve spent 30 years at sea, and that’s the first time I've ever heard it – you and God are my witness. And so, the name for the band was born”Remastered by Darren Morris at North Street West Studio and sung by Captain Feedback accompanied by his seafaring companions – the S.O.S Wave Band, these sea shanties are best served with the darkest rum and the strongest of constitutions. Avast me hearties.....

RRR033 - Ghetto Priest x D​.​Foe - Who you gonna run to - EP

Ramrock Red Records are insanely excited to present Ghetto Priest x D.Foe’s follow up EP to their critically acclaimed ‘Snapshot of Reality’ which is still receiving extensive global radio play and media support. ‘Who you gonna run to’ showcases consummate boundary pusher, Ghetto Priest’s wordsmithery and razor sharp lyric delivery along with the genius collaboration between himself and enigmatic duo, D.Foe. Weaving their cinematic, trip hop and jazz sensibilities into the gritty fabric of the original version, D.Foe keep it ‘street’. The North Street West crew take the track and channel their inner avant funk. There’s a definite musical nod towards the influences of 70’s trailblazers, Cymande and New York’s infamous 99 Records.Special thanks to Ann MacDonald from Ghetto Priest: ‘Many thanks to Ann MacDonald for pointing me in the right direction and for the inspiration - lost only to be found’.

RR010 - Errol Lamzi - Lonely EP

Ramrock Records are delighted to unleash this exquisite slab of properly good Lovers Rock. The original version boasts the talents of UK based reggae singer, Errol Lamzi and production talents of the mighty Stingray. The lyrical content is simple – girl leaves boy, boy is broken hearted and lonely without the one he loves. Will she ever come back – we don’t get to find out but we’re all routing for him. The North Street West crew take the track and inject an infectious combined keyboard melody – Hammond organ and upright piano – along with horn stabs, creating a real old skool Rock Steady flavour just right to nice up the dance.Errol Lamzi began his musical career as a singer/songwriter in the early 80s on the UK based ‘Yootman Sound System’, situated in North West London. Following on from the sound system days, Lamzi went on to pursuing his dream with the release of his debut single entitled ‘The Rose.’ This was followed by other releases such as ‘Zoom’, ‘Hold Me’, Loveride’ (a duet cover with Honey B), ‘Somebody’s Fool’ and ‘Easy Lover’ which was released on Jet Star Reggae Hits Volume 9. After a break from music taking time with family and his career, Errol Lamzi has returned to the music scene with further releases in 2021 entitled ‘Cherrie’ and ‘Not Another One’. A recent link up with Stingray Records and Ramrock has led to his latest release entitled ‘Lonely.’Stingray, a UK based Reggae recording studio and label, has emerged as one of the leaders in the music field since it was founded in 1994 by the McLeod brothers. Based in Perivale, Stingray own a fully equipped, advanced 24-track professional recording studio. Carlton “Dillie” McLeod and his younger brother Raymond “Sting” McLeod have steadily built a reputation for producing unique “Yard Style” mixing technique outside Jamaica.

RRR035 - Suddenly WOW - Little Things

Ramrock Red Records are ecstatic to be able to deliver Suddenly WOW’s extraordinary pile of tiny musical pixels, ‘Little Things’. The duo has existed at the sonic crossroads where they have tailored prime coloured pop and free noise improvisation. The enchanting energy and unswerving devotion of Suddenly WOW members, Darren Morris & Otti Albietz is reflected in their knack for abstracting a groove, conjuring spine tingling eternal resonances and transformative musical energies. Clear hints of cosmic jazz and soft psych electronica, with distinctive musical phrasing, transport you, the listener, to a crystalline space age palace.Darren Morris will be familiar to many music lovers via his extensive two-decade musical output as a highly sought-after keyboard player, studio engineer and instrumentalist. His musical wizardry is always in big demand with artists like Horse Meat Disco, Ashley Beedle, Massive Attack and Joseph Malik, as well as being an integral member of the legendary Black Science Orchestra and the prodigious North Street West production crew. Otti Albietz has had a long and glittering career, having released 12 albums and multiple independent releases as well as working with labels such as Plural Baby and BBE Records.Otti of Suddenly WOW says: “The act of listening to new music is hard, but it’s necessary if we wish to discover songs that embody the uncrushable spirit, the sound of individuals who’ve been told all their life that they’re nothing, erupting with the news that they are everything. Songs that are full of the positive message of self-belief and resilience, pursuing childhood dreams and destiny. We must all listen to the new, the unfamiliar Suddenly WOW”.Darren of Suddenly WOW says: “Yeah, whatever”.